Also it may have occurred to him that in all probability none of us would ever come back at all, in which case by a process of natural devolution, he might find himself the owner of the business and much valuable property.

However, he swore by sundry saints--for Thomaso was nominally a Catholic--that he would look after everything as though it were his own, as no doubt he hoped it might become.
"Hearken, fat pig," said Umslopogaas, Hans obligingly translating so that there might be no mistake, "if I come back, and come back I shall who travel with the Great Medicine--and find even one of the cattle of the white lord, Macumazahn, Watcher-by-Night, missing, or one article stolen from his waggon, or the fields of your master not cultivated or his goods wasted, I swear by the Axe that I will hew you into pieces with the axe; yes, if to do it I have to hunt you from where the sun rises to where it sets and down the length of the night between.

Do you understand, fat pig, deserter of women and children, who to save yourself could run faster than a buck ?" Thomaso replied that he understood very clearly indeed, and that, Heaven helping him, all should be kept safe and sound.

Still, I was sure that in his manly heart he was promising great gifts to the saints if they would so arrange matters that Umslopogaas and his axe were never seen at Strathmuir again, and reflecting that after all the Amahagger had their uses.

However, as I did not trust him in the least, much against their will, I left my driver and _voorlooper_ to guard my belongings.
At last we did get off, pursued by the fervent blessings of Thomaso and the prayers of the others that we would avenge their murdered relatives.
We were a curious and motley procession.